‘Green card for the planet’? Fifa’s World Cup known as ‘the deadliest sporting event in history’ – ‘On pace to be ‘a climate catastrophe’ – ‘Most polluting World Cup ever, with total greenhouse gas emissions hitting nearly two times the historical average’
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/17/world-cup-climate-change
By Jules Boykoff
UK Guardian excerpt:
The 2026 World Cup is not only the most politically combustible tournament in modern history, but it is also on track to be the “most polluting” World Cup ever, with total greenhouse gas emissions hitting nearly two times the historical average. Scientists conservatively project that the tournament will generate around 9m tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Air travel comprises approximately 7.7m tons of this carbon budget, and more than four times that of the average for tournaments held between 2010 and 2022. The researchers note that the worst-case upper estimate for air transport is about 13.7m tons of CO2. That may sound bad, but that’s just because World Cup emissions have never been worse.
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Much of this can be chalked up to Fifa own goals. It chose to increase the number of participating teams to 48, up from 32 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. It also selected three host countries – Canada, Mexico and the US – that encompass a massive geographical expanse. Even if the US train system wasn’t in relative shambles, the distances that many fans need to travel make less carbon-intensive forms of transportation impractical.
Some may point out that the 2026 World Cup’s estimated 9m tons of CO2 pales in comparison to the 5.9 billion tons of CO2 that the US spewed into the air in 2025 alone. While that is true, it’s equally true that to passively allow Fifa to willfully trash the environment is to succumb to greenwashing: the duplicitous practice of talking a big green game, but failing to follow through with meaningful sustainability measures. Fifa is dashing in the wrong direction at a time when campaigners are racking up a slew of climate litigation wins against unrepentant greenwashers.
Somehow, the 2026 World Cup is even worse. Given that increased greenhouse gas emissions cause premature deaths, scholar Tim Walters argues that this World Cup is the deadliest sporting event in history, a sign of Fifa’s “abject misanthropy”.
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AP: ‘Climate change…raising worries about soccer players & fans suffering heat stress during’ World Cup – Warns ‘mixing alcohol with extreme heat poses extra risks…as studies from around the world show that drinking alcohol peaks in the summer’
What can’t it do?! ‘Climate change’ to slow down athletes playing in World Cup – ‘Fans should brace for SLOW games’ as ‘Scientists warn’ that ‘warming caused by climate change’ will ‘affect how fast players can run’
LA Times: ‘Most dangerous World Cup ever? Climate change poses growing risks for players’ – Fret may be ‘final World Cup to be played in the summer’
UN climate agency warns of ‘slower’ games due to ‘extreme heat during the World Cup – UN claims games ‘will be played at a time of rising levels of extreme heat, driven by worsening climate change’ & ‘the pace of some matches could be slower’
UN climate agency warns of ‘slower’ games due to ‘extreme heat during the World Cup – UN claims games ‘will be played at a time of rising levels of extreme heat, driven by worsening climate change’ & ‘the pace of some matches could be slower’
